


I'll See You on the Other Side of the War

by Curiosity101



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky/Steve isn't real, Bullying, Civil War Team Iron Man, Flash Thompson Being A Jerk, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, IronStrange, Multi, Not Quite Graphic Depictions of Violence, Not Steve Friendly, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Soulmates, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange Parenting Peter Parker | Supremefamily | Strange Family, at least not in my world, parkner
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-18 02:43:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 14,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21520579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Curiosity101/pseuds/Curiosity101
Summary: Tony just wanted peace.Stephen just wanted love.Peter just wanted a family.
Relationships: Harley Keener/Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Stephen Strange, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 144
Kudos: 398





	1. The One That (Almost) Got Away

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> This is my very first fic, and I am so excited to share it with the world. Right now, I don't want to overload myself, so I am planning to update every Friday with a new 1,000+ word chapter each time. You might be asking yourself..."Why is she telling me this?" It's because I want you all to help me be accountable with my writing. I know how frustrating it can be to fall in love with a fanfic, then have the author never update it again! Help me help you!
> 
> That being said, I also welcome constructive criticism, comments, and questions. I will try to answer as many comments as I can at the beginning of each chapter, so bring on the comments!
> 
> I look forward to sharing this journey with all of you.
> 
> ~Curiosity

_Pain._

_There were many things Tony Stark could handle, and pain was one of them… but this? This was not something he signed up for. The aching in his chest was no longer only caused by his now shattered sternum._

_Cold._

_His suit was offline. In Siberia. How could Ca-…Rogers…leave him here? What were the other Avengers thinking? Had Rogers told them what he’d done? It didn’t matter. They were clearly on Steve’s side, no matter what they said._

_Numb._

_How could they not see that Tony was only trying to help? Tony could feel his heart closing off to the emotional anguish. His team. They didn’t care about him. Never did. He wasn’t important. Why would anyone care about a screw-up?_

_Dying._

_Pepper...Rhodey…Peter…Oh God…Peter… Was he okay? May was going to kill him. Wait. He was already dyin-…dead…he was already dead. The world didn’t need a mentally unstable Iron Man anymore…_

These were Tony’s last thoughts as he drifted from his barely conscious state into oblivion.

~

There was a terrible pain in Stephen Strange’s chest. Nothing he did seemed to soothe the ache in his soul. He stood looking out of the New York Sanctum’s window, pressing circles over his heart, hoping to ease the pain away. Nothing his brilliant mind came up with could sensibly explain why, all of a sudden, he pictured frightened chocolate eyes in his mind whenever he closed his own blue ones.

There must’ve been some reason for the pain and images, and Stephen would be damned before he believed they were coincidences. You didn’t just spontaneously daydream about someone you’ve never met, let alone see their eyes in such detail, for no reason.

‘The multiverse is rarely so lazy.’ Stephen thought as he continued the circular motions. There was a dull, inconsistent throbbing in his sternum as if someone was pounding on it with a hammer to no apparent rhythm. Levi, as he affectionately named the Cloak of Levitation, was now tapping him on the shoulder, asking Stephen to follow him.

As Stephen followed Levi down to the base of the stairs, he saw Wong, his best friend, standing there with a concerned expression.

“Stephen. We have known each other for quite some time,” Wong said, “I know when something is troubling you, my friend.”

Stephen sighed. Now was as good a time as ever, he supposed. As he sat down, so did Wong. Then…he began to recount his problem to his closest friend. After half an hour, three cups of tea (with honey of course), and a couple of mild gasps of pain from Stephen, Wong decided to speak his piece.

“Ah, I believe I know the cause of your pain, Stephen,” Wong replied as he tried his best to keep the smug smile off of his face. His friend had been a loner since the accident, not seeking help or friendship. The news Wong had for him would either change everything or drive him into an even more secluded part of his mind.

“Well? I don’t have all day, Wong!” Stephen cried desperately. Future Stephen would deny any and all suggestions of said response existing.

“Stephen. You are the Sorcerer Supreme. With all you have read, I am sure you can recall some of what I am about to tell you.” Wong stated simply. “Every Sorcerer Supreme has a great weight on their shoulders, Stephen. Sometimes it is too much for one person to bear, other times they have been able to stand on their own. However, fate does not want the possibility of a Sorcerer Supreme that cannot handle the power and responsibility. To counteract this threat, it was determined by fate itself, that every Sorcerer Supreme was to have a second half. A soulmate if you will.” Wong continued. “Stephen, you have only recently become the Sorcerer Supreme. The ache in your heart is quite literally an ache in your soul. Fate has decided you are ready to meet your mate.” Wong finished.

Stephen sat there in silence for a total of three minutes before eloquently replying, “What?” Externally, Stephen was calm and collected. His internal demeanor was an entirely different story, however.

‘A soulmate? Me? Who could possibly want to be with me? Scratch that. Who in their _right mind_ would even _consider_ me as loveable?!’ Stephen took a deep breath, wincing as the pain he’d been experiencing came back with a tidal wave of force. Suddenly, an image flashed in his mind. It was the same pair of frightened eyes, only this time, there was a face to go with them. It was a man, probably in his mid-forties, was lying on a hard cement surface with a terrified look in his eyes. He had a goatee and short brown hair that looked incredibly soft to Stephen. He looked familiar like Stephen had seen him somewhere.

“Wong. I think my…soulmate…might be in trouble. Either right now or sometime soon.” Stephen gasped. Wong looked shocked. Clearly, the images Stephen was seeing were not pleasant, and given his accompanying pain, Wong could safely say that Stephen’s soulmate was in danger.

“Stephen, I need you to try and look around your soulmate. Where are they?” Wong prompted.

“Oh God! Wong, I think my soulmate is Tony Stark! He’s wearing something that looks like the Iron Man suit, but it’s not in good shape. I can’t tell.” Stephen whispered towards the end. Wong looked shocked but quickly reigned in his surprise for the sake of his friend. Right now, they needed to find Tony Stark…or his look alike.

“Picture him in your mind, Stephen. You know how the sling ring works. Trust your training. We _will_ find your mate.” Wong calmly said.

Stephen pictured those cocoa eyes, usually so full of life, they were reduced to this look of absolute terror. He saw Tony’s face: his lips, his nose, his cheeks. Then Stephen imagined Tony in his Iron Man Suit. He continued to use this imagery until slowly, ever so slowly, a portal sparked to life. Stephen looked up from the pocket of air he’d been focused on, and his heart stopped. He let out a cry of anguish as his soul recognized its mate, and consequently, said mate’s condition. There was his soulmate. Battered. Bruised. Bleeding. The doctor in Stephen looked onto the scene in horror, before his soul decided his mind could play catchup later, as he launched himself through the portal.

The last thing Wong saw before the portal snapped shut was an image he will never forget. Stephen, the Sorcerer Supreme, was sobbing over the still form of Tony Stark.

_Shit._


	2. There's no Place Like Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters introduced in the story yet. Marvel is the proud owner of all of their masterpieces.

Stephen didn’t know where to put his hands first. There was so much blood, and while he knew it was pointless to think it was someone else’s, his heart still held out hope. He cradled Tony’s head in his lap, rocking back and forth, praying to whatever god was listening that his soulmate would live to see another day. As silent tears fell, Stephen put his ear to Tony’s completely ruined chest, searching for a heartbeat. He was preparing for the worst…when…he heard it! The faint flutter was there like a life-line Stephen was desperately holding onto.

  
With the confirmation that Tony was alive, Stephen immediately hovered his hands over the broken body of his soulmate, not quite sure what he was planning on doing, but knowing that his soul was taking over for him, acting on instinct. Slowly, the broken sternum and ribs were wrapped in some sort of mystical bandage, preventing any further injury as Stephen gently lifted Tony into his arms after opening a portal back to the Sanctum. 

  
To say Wong was shocked would be an understatement. He had been pacing at the foot of the stairs inside the Sanctum, anxiously waiting for backup, for several hours mind you, so that he could find Stephen and bring him…and his soulmate…back, when he heard the telltale sound of a portal opening, only to see Stephen holding a very still Tony Stark. The millions of questions could wait for later, Wong decided. He had never seen Stephen look so distraught, and that was disconcerting enough in and of itself. Wong ushered Stephen through the Sanctum to one of the many bedrooms it held for guests and visiting sorcerers. 

  
Stephen laid Tony down onto the mattress in one of the more elegant rooms the Sanctum housed. Brushing the stray strands of hair from Tony’s forehead, Stephen got his first good look at the genius. He was pale, dangerously so. There were cuts and bruises littering Tony’s face, and the sight prompted more tears from Stephen while Wong watched on in silence. 

  
Another thirty minutes later, Wong put his hand on Stephen’s shoulder, silently asking the question none of them wanted to think about. It was imperative that they try to stabilize Tony’s condition before any discussions were had and to do that, Stephen needed to exit the room so the sorcerers, who had come as backup, could assess the damage without any emotional disturbance. Stephen nodded minutely and began to trudge out of the room, Wong on his heels. Seeing his friend in pain was something Wong did not enjoy, and he was determined to be there for the one person who had taken the time to form a friendship with him despite his occasionally sour attitude. 

  
As they made their way to the living room, Stephen slowly slinked over to his favorite chair, where Levi was curled up, waiting for its master to need it. Stephen sat down and Levi gently settled on his shoulders, giving him a slight squeeze, which Stephen responded to with light caresses along the collar of the cloak, something that Levi appreciated greatly. The familiar buzz of the Cloak was enough to slightly calm Stephen’s racing heart. “Wong,” Stephen began, “I…I don’t know what to do. Part of me wants to go off and rip the throat out of the bastard who did this to Tony, but the other part of me wants to cocoon Tony and never let him out of my sight again!” Stephen rambled. “I didn’t know I could feel so much for one person, Wong. What if Tony doesn’t believe me that we are soulmates? What if he does, but he doesn’t care for me the way I do him? What about the Sanctum and Stark Industries? I don’t know what to do, Idontknowwhattodo, Idontknowwhattodo.”

  
“Stephen!” Wong halted him. “You aren’t expected to know what to do in every situation. Sometimes you just need to do what feels right and live with the consequences…good or bad.”

  
Stephen’s mind thought that made sense, but his heart was screaming at him that it wasn’t that simple. He and Wong sat there for another four and a half hours before the sorcerers came out of the room Tony was in and gave them the rundown. 

  
“His entire chest was caved in and broken. Luckily his internal organs, aside from his left lung, were not damaged too much. We were able to heal his injuries, however, there is no telling how long it will take for the phantom pain and probable nightmares to go away.” The eldest said solemnly. 

  
Stephen kept his face neutral until he had thanked and saw each of the sorcerers off. When they were gone, Stephen broke down. The day's events crashing into him full force. He had almost lost the one thing he thought he would never have, and that thought was enough to send him spiraling into another wave of tears and dry heaving. 

  
An hour later, Stephen was in Tony’s room, watching to make sure nothing happened to the man in the bed. The previously blemished face was now clear, and blood was freely flowing under his skin, adding a pink tinge to the genius’s cheeks. Stephen was content to know that he was physically fine and that he could make sure he stayed that way. 

  
For the next few hours, Stephen read some of the tomes from the library while drinking a soothing blend of tea. He was desperately waiting for the moment that Tony would open his eyes, solidifying the fact that he was indeed alive to Stephen. 

  
The book Stephen was currently reading was written on the history of the soulmate of the Sorcerer Supreme. It held detailed accounts of the relationships that were successful and flourished. It spoke of the Sorcerer’s soulmate gaining some of the knowledge of the mystic arts the Sorcerer possessed if they had not dealt with magic before. That idea scared Stephen. If Tony received even a hundredth of the knowledge he possessed, he might be scared off, something Stephen didn’t want to happen. Only time would tell what Tony decided to do. And with that thought, Stephen saw Tony’s eyelids fluttering and set down his tea and tome, awaiting the arrival of his destined. 

~

Tony was aware of two things immediately after gaining consciousness. The first being that he was no longer freezing and in pain. The second, he was in an unknown place. That fact alone should have scared him, however, he felt something deep within himself that told him he was safe. As he slowly opened his eyes, he looked around the earth-toned room, only to see an odd-looking figure to his right. Something swelled in his heart, and that terrified him. As far as he was concerned, he only had feelings for Pepper, though they had broken up yet again. 

  
“Tony Stark,” the man said in a low, smooth voice. And damn if Tony wasn’t affected by that. “My name is Stephen Strange. You must have a few questions, but right now, I need to check your vitals. Make sure everything is working,” said the man…Stephen was it? Tony could get behind that plan. The sooner he was cleared to leave and was away from Sexy Stephen the better. Wait. Where did that thought come from?! It didn’t matter as long as he kept those thoughts to himself. 

  
“So,” Tony croaked out, slightly cringing and the gravel in his voice, “You…must be…wondering…what you did…to deserve…being…in my presence…”


	3. Along Came a Spider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Peter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters introduced thus far in the story. Marvel, and therefore Disney, owns everything.
> 
> Author's Note:
> 
> I know I said I would post every Friday, but I am so excited for this chapter, so I am posting it today! I had a huge internal debate, and in the end, my excitement won over my schedule. I will still post a chapter this Friday, just think of this chapter as a bonus chapter! Anyway, I've got so many ideas for this story, and sometimes, creative genius just won't leave you alone!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Curiosity

Peter Parker liked to think that he was lucky. He had an aunt who loved him, a mentor he could learn so much from, and he was Spiderman. How many kids got to say that?! Well, technically only one, but that was beside the point. He was going to see Mr. Stark today and work with him in the labs! The other kids at his school don’t believe that he knows Tony Stark. Of course, he wasn’t the one to come right out and say that he knew the man…that was Eugene ‘Flash’ Thompson’s doing. 

_~FLASHBACK~_

  
_On one of the days Peter was scheduled to go to Stark Tower, Flash just happened to see him get into the black Audi being driven by Happy Hogan. That was the opening Flash needed to isolate Peter from everyone in Midtown. The next day, Peter heard the whispers in the hall: Parker says he has an internship with Stark Industries; Did you hear what Flash said about Parker lying about an internship; Peter must really think we are stupid if he thinks we will fall for his bullcrap._

_The day continued in a similar fashion, with Peter’s peers questioning his truthfulness and motivation while he walked from class to class, desperately trying to ignore the hurtful comments. The last person he wanted to see that day was Flash Thompson, and he was so close to making it halfway through the day when… “Hey Penis!” a voice shouted from the other side of the chemistry hallway._

_While Spiderman was great at thinking on his feet…Peter…Peter was not. Case-in-point, Flash spotting him and cornering him next to the drinking fountain. “Hey Penis, have you heard? Your pathetic lies aren’t going anywhere. Not while I’m here to set everyone straight.” Flash said while pushing Peter into the wall. “You better start talking Puny, or you’re going to regret_ ever living _” Flash snarled after being unsuccessful at getting a reaction from his favorite target._

 _“I never told anyone that I had an internship, Flash,” Peter said meekly. He wasn’t good with confrontations at school, especially when it came to Flash, who stalked off to his next class. Getting up and turning to leave, Peter saw Ms. Warren glaring at him. “Mr. Parker. I sincerely hope that you are not planning on making a habit of being late to class.” Ms. Warren said. ‘_ Oh _great’ Peter thought with a frustrated sigh. ‘Flash has even spread the rumor to my teachers’. “No Ms. Warren, I was just getting a drink before class,” Peter said slowly as he walked into the lab with his teacher._

_~END FLASHBACK~_

So yeah, while it wasn’t necessarily his doing, Peter had become a target for almost anyone who didn’t believe in his “internship”, and unfortunately for him, that included Ms. Warren. He swore the woman hated his guts before the rumor mill started working overtime, but the gossip she no doubt heard in the halls was probably enough to set her blood to boiling. Considering that she herself had applied time after time to the internship program when she was in school, and was consistently turned away, the memories must have been hard to deal with, Peter reckoned. He always tried to see the people around him in a positive light, no matter how much they hurt him. Mr. Stark said he was way to selfless in that regard. He said that Peter was too kind, and that, while being good for his alias, was not so great for Peter Parker, who was too easily taken advantage of. 

So it was with this thought, Peter continued his mundane routine of going to classes and not really paying attention in them. Don’t get him wrong! Peter had a GPA of 4.5, and that was not only a point of pride for him, but also a sore spot. The attention he got for being the smartest kid in school was not necessarily something the friendly neighborhood Spiderman needed. But if it ended up with him hanging out with Mr. Stark in his private labs? Well…let’s just say that it was totally worth it to Peter. On that note, he was currently seated in his last class of the day, which meant he had successfully ignored the insults and hurtful commentary for one more day. 

Peter shot up out of his seat a few seconds before the bell rang, earning him a few glares and side-way glances, but he couldn’t care less. It was Friday, and he was staying over at the Tower for the first time. To say he was excited would be an understatement. A whole weekend of tinkering in the lab, working on his and Mr. Stark’s suit, and seeing Pepper and Happy again? Count him in! He was almost to the door when he heard, “Hey look! Puny Parker is trying to escape!” Flash screamed.

All at once, Flash’s goons were surrounding him. Not today, not today, not today! Peter screamed internally. He absolutely wanted to avoid any and all contact with Flash. His wish, it seemed, was not granted as he was shoved into a locker and Flash screamed in his face, spittle flying everywhere. Peter didn’t even know what Flash was saying, all he knew was that this incident was going to cause him to keep Happy waiting, something he did not want to happen! He didn’t even struggle against the onslaught of punches and kicks, hoping that if he ignored them, they would leave sooner. 

“If I were you boys,” a voice began from behind the group, “I would leave. Right. Now.” The voice ended up growling.

The group scattered, leaving Peter to try to open his swollen eye in an attempt to see his savior. He had never heard that voice before and couldn’t remember hearing anyone approach. Peter whimpered a little as he tried to sit up. He would be fine in a couple of hours, he just needed to tough it out! 

“Don’t move.” The voice said, and Peter prepared for another attack…but it never came. He felt himself being lifted and carried bridal style. He was too hurt to be embarrassed, but he knew that later, he would regret allowing the voice to carry him. He expected to hear the snickers and taunts in the hallway, but instead, he heard some kind of sizzling noise before his nose picked up a weird smell. It smelled like old books and foreign spices, which he thought was weird because the Audi didn’t smell like this. 

A few minutes later, his swollen eye decreased in size enough to open it. He looked around and realized he wasn’t in a car…or any type of vehicle. He appeared to be in an old-world style home. The tones were all naturally colored, and it had sort of a gothic structure. He tried to find the owner of the voice, but for all that he could tell, they were gone. Maybe he would see them later, but for now, he was so…so tired…

~

From the shadows of the room he had placed the boy…no…Peter…the boy was Peter. From where he sat in the shadows, he could see the sleeping figure take shaking breaths, no doubt from the injuries he sustained. However, after a couple of hours, Peter seemed to be breathing significantly better and the man decided to wake him up to eat. 

“Peter,” the man said softly. “Peter, someone wants to see you. Come on. You need to get up now…”

~

Peter heard the soft words bringing him out of the depths of sleep, and groggily opened his eyes. Hovering over him was a tall man with some seriously impressive facial hair, a red cape, and blue…was that a dress? It didn’t matter, Peter needed to thank the man. He sat up quickly, and that was the biggest mistake he ever made, seeing that he now had stars in his vision. “Uuuurrgh” Peter groaned. 

The voice came back, laughing slightly. “Come on Peter, you need to get up. Slowly this time. That’s right, there you go.” The man coaxed him. “Who ‘re you?” Peter asked.

“Stephen. Stephen Strange.” 


	4. They What?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephen finds Peter and rescues him.
> 
> Tony trusts his friends.
> 
> Peter learns the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So later, I will be giving Peter a relationship! And there are several individuals I have in mind, but I want your input! Here are the possible pairings:
> 
> Michelle/Peter
> 
> Shuri/Peter
> 
> Harley/Peter
> 
> Let me know in the comments what you think I should do! I adore all of these pairings, and it is so hard for me to choose just one!

_**Previously** _

_“So,” Tony croaked out, slightly cringing and the gravel in his voice, “You…must be…wondering…what you did…to deserve…being…in my presence…”_

~

Within a few hours of talking to the doctor, Tony knew he liked him. In fact, Tony wagered that he liked the man far more than he should considering he met him just over two hours ago. There was just something about the man that felt familiar…safe even. The man…no…sorcerer…was wickedly smart with a sharp tongue that rivaled Tony’s own signature snark. 

“Tony,” Stephen began, “Is there anyone who you would like to know your whereabouts? Friends? Family?” 

Tony could only think of three and a half people. Rhodey, Happy, Pepper, and…Peter. He didn’t want his young protégé to know the full extent of what happened yet. He would tell him when the time was right, but for now, he just wanted the kid to know he was okay. Tony relayed the names to Stephen, who excused himself to go and seek out those who Tony trusted would not hurt him. 

~

Stephen was ecstatic to know that his soulmate still trusted his, although fewer than before, friends. After bringing James Rhodes, Harold Hogan, and Virginia Potts back to the Sanctum (after much convincing that he was not: “an evil mastermind who is using Tony to bring down the government” to Rhodes, “a lunatic who would not fool Tony’s head of security no matter how believable his magic tricks were” to Happy, and “a sorry excuse of a blackmailing agent” to Pepper), Stephen set out to find the boy. Tony’s description of the said adolescent was not helpful in the slightest. “He looks like an overeager, spastic, genius puppy,” Tony had smiled fondly. Stephen was quite sure that was not a description that was going to get him anywhere, but low and behold, a portal opened up in the middle of a high school hallway.

What Stephen saw made his blood boil. There were four larger teenagers in a half-circle, cornering and beating upon a smaller boy. Well, technically only three were punching the frail thing, and one was standing back with a smirk on his face. Stephen was pulled out of his thoughts by a cry of pain from the smaller teenager followed by whimpers. 

“If I were you boys,” Stephen growled, “I would leave. Right. Now.” 

He almost sagged in relief when all four boys scurried off, but he would remain fully aware until this child was taken care of. 

Much like he did for Tony, Stephen stabilized the boy's condition with magic before preparing to carry him through the still-open portal back to the Sanctum. “Don’t move.” He said to the boy. He internally cringed when the child flinched as if preparing for another assault. 

Stephen slowly picked up the small male, who tucked his head into Stephen’s chest, attempting to hide from his remaining peers in the hallway. Stephen didn’t let the other high schoolers get the chance to process what had happened before he stepped through the portal, snapping it shut behind him. 

Those gathered at the Sanctum descended upon the young boy, who he later discovered was Peter Parker, the protégé Tony spoke so highly of. Pepper looked absolutely furious, while Rhodes looked murderous, and Happy had a truly frightening glint in his eyes. 

After getting Peter settled into a room to be looked over by the resident healers, Stephen told the others what he had seen before interrupting. They each had a protective sheen in their eyes as Stephen recounted the details. Before long, Pepper was threatening legal action while Rhodes and Happy were plotting the deaths of the culprits. None of them wanted to know what Tony’s reaction would be, but they all knew he deserved the truth. 

~

Everyone gathered in Tony’s room, whispering so as to not wake him prematurely. They discussed the best way to breach the elephant in the room before deciding that it would be best if Pepper broke the news to the billionaire. 

~

Tony did not take the news very well.

~

Pepper watched in almost a reverent fascination as Tony’s face went from pale, to red, to near purple as his expression turned murderous. Was she surprised by his reaction? No. Was she surprised by the extent of his rage? Mildly. Pepper would never have guessed the depth of Tony’s fondness for Peter. Sure, she knew that they were close, and she knew that Peter was practically a mini-Tony when it came to his genius, but when it came down to it, she hadn’t realized the parental feelings Tony had in regards to his intern. 

“How dare they? Do they know who I am? Do they know who Peter is? Peter wouldn’t harm a fly if it gave him typhoid fever!” Tony screamed. 

“Tony,” Pepper said softly, “We don’t know why those boys did what they did, but Peter is here now, he’s safe now, we can protect him.”

That seemed to calm the rage in Tony’s eyes only slightly. Peter was hurting, and Tony was clearly working through some difficult emotions. For a man who liked to keep such things under lock and key, he was being very open about his anger. 

“I want to see him,” Tony sighed. 

“I will go check on him, see if his condition has improved. If it has, I will notify you and we can all reconvene in the dining room.” Stephen replied as he made to leave. Tony stopped him when he snatched the sorcerer’s hand in his, looked into Stephen’s eyes and said sincerely, “Thank you.”

~

Peter was in a dreamless state. He was just hovering there, blissfully ignorant of the storm coming his way. 

“Peter,” he heard someone call out, “Peter, someone wants to see you. Come on. You need to get up now…”

~

Stephen slowly coaxed Peter from his sleep. When he finally saw those doe-eyes open, his breath caught in his throat. This was why the others were so fiercely protective of the boy. He looked so innocent, young, and fragile lying there with glassy eyes. Stephen immediately knew that he would die for this boy. He would move heaven and earth if only to see him happy. There was just something about this child that tugged at his heart, melting a bit of the cold exterior away. 

The teen sat up so suddenly, that Stephen almost received a skull to his nose. With a small groan, the boy swayed in his semi-upright position. Slightly laughing at the child, Stephen decided that he would help Peter out of the bed.

“Come on Peter, you need to get up. Slowly this time. That’s right, there you go.” The sorcerer coaxed him. 

“Who ‘re you?” Peter asked.

“Stephen. Stephen Strange.” 

~

A while later, everyone was gathered in the dining room, watching in silent amusement as Peter wolfed down enough food to last a man a week. Peter sat at the head of the table, with Tony on his right and Stephen on his left. Rhodey was next to Tony, while Happy was situated next to Stephen. Pepper sat at the other head of the table. 

When peter had finished off his third sandwich, he finally glanced from his plate to the adults gathered around him. Smiling, he finally said, “Where is everyone else?”

“They aren’t here, Peter” Pepper said solemnly.

In true three-year-old fashion, Peter responded, “But where are they? Why aren’t they here?”

The adults in the room answered Peter’s questions without actually telling him what he wanted to know. They bounced back and forth, hoping he would just give it up, when Peter turned to Tony and asked him, since he hadn’t answered yet. 

Tony blanched a little. He was not ready for Peter to know, but the kid was making it impossible to not tell him. Resigning himself to his fate, Tony whispered, “We fought, Peter. They didn’t agree with the Accords, and so we fought. I don’t know where they are now.” 

Peter looked shocked. He couldn’t believe it. The Avengers were friends, and they had fought? Where were the others? Why did they leave? Why did they fight? There was something Tony wasn’t telling him, and he deserved to know!

“What aren’t you telling me Mr. Stark?” Peter questioned. 

Tony looked over to him, and for the first time, Peter saw the haunted look in his eyes. Tony took a deep breath before answering.

“They tried…they…they almost killed me Peter.”


	5. Love Like a Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is meant as a fluffy set-up chapter for next week's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm still wanting your input as to which pairing Peter should get:
> 
> Peter/Shuri = 1 vote
> 
> Peter/MJ = 0 votes
> 
> Peter/Harley = 0 votes
> 
> Vote in the comments below!

_**Previously** _

_“They tried…they…they almost killed me_ Peter _.”_

~

Peter could only sit there in shock as his mentor stumbled through an explanation of what happened. Peter knew Tony was finished speaking when his eyes finally focused on his father figure, who looked frightened for some reason. Tony closed in on himself the longer the silence drug on. 

_Oh God. Peter’s going to think I’m weak, that I’m broken. He’s going to…_ “-ark!” Someone was yelling at him now. “Mr. Stark! Are you okay?” Oh. That was Peter’s voice. Why was he asking if he was okay? Tony suddenly registered his trembling body and his panicked breaths. Someone else was talking to him now…Stephen? He couldn’t quite tell, but they were urging him to match their breathing pattern. Tony heard the overexaggerated breathing noises coming from his right, while someone was giving him directions on his left. “In…Out…In…Out” the voice prompted him. The instructions combined with the inhaling and exhaling sounds helped Tony establish a normal breathing pattern. 

Stephen and Rhodey were on either side of Tony, guiding him down from his panic attack, no doubt caused by reliving the nightmare that was Steve Rogers. The two men glanced at each other over their friend’s head, and it was clear to them exactly what the other was thinking: No one will hurt Tony Stark again.

Tony didn’t know how long he sat there, all he knew, was that he was grateful to the two men flanking his sides. Tony began to apologize to them when Stephen cut him off.

“Never assume that you are a burden, Tony. I may have only known you for a few short hours, but I can assure you, you are precious to me. I will spend every moment I have proving to you that you are worth loving, and that you are an amazing example of what innate goodness truly is.” Stephen proclaimed. Tony looked up with so much awe and wonder that Stephen, not for the first time that day, had to both question and curse anyone who had ever hurt his mate.

“I agree with Stephen.” Rhodey continued. “You are so inherently good, Tones. You deserve the best the universe has to offer, and I can only feel so sorry that those assholes betrayed your trust. I swear to you, Tones, never again. I meant it in Afghanistan and I mean it now, you ride with me.” Tony mumbled into Rhodey’s chest, something that sounded strangely like “Love you too, platypus.” 

The entire exchange had the rest of the room, although few in number, shedding silent tears. This is what friendship and family was, not that bullshit Rogers had tricked Tony into believing it was. After clinging to Rhodey for another fifteen minutes, Tony turned to look at Stephen. He took a steadying breath, before he looked up at the sorcerer.

“Stephen, Honey Bear hear will tell you I’m not very good with emotions, but, I want to try…for you. Although we’ve only known each other for a couple of hours, I am…God, how did this happen…I am totally okay with you showing me what love is. I never pictured myself as the domestic type, but I can see it with you, Stephen. I want it all. The breakfast in bed, the flirtatious texts that force a smile onto my face. The afternoon cuddles and dinner at the table. I already know that you are my endgame, Stephen. Please don’t ask me why…” Tony trailed off at the end. His moment of confidence subsided leaving a very nervous billionaire. He had just put his heart on the table for a man he met hours ago! What was he thinking? Stephen would hate him after this. Rhodey would be appalled. 

All of Tony’s thoughts came to a grinding halt when Stephen’s shaking hands gently held Tony’s own. The sorcerer brought said hands to his lips, letting Tony decide if he wanted to pull away. When it was clear he didn’t, Stephen kissed each and every scar on Tony’s beautiful hands. Stephen looked through his lashes at Tony, whose heart skipped a beat at the pure adoration in the doctor’s eyes. 

“I feel the same way about you, Tony. We were destined to be together. Precious, don’t ever doubt my feelings for you are just as strong as yours are for me…perhaps even stronger.” 

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but rest assured, I want to keep doing it.” Tony smiled. 

The pair sat at the Sanctum’s dining table for a little while longer, gazing into each other’s eyes. It was as if they broke eye contact for even a moment, that this whole perfect fantasy they had concocted would come crashing down around them. After Rhodey deemed the moment was over, he cleared his throat, startling the two lovebirds out of their reverie. The two had the grace to look ashamed for a second before Rhodey set them straight. 

“You both deserve this, so don’t feel apologetic just yet. You gave us quite the scare, Tones. I thought you were dead, or worse. Actually, I’m not sure if torture is worse than death. At least in one of those scenarios I get to see you again. And that is all I will ever ask of you Tony. Please come back to me.” Rhodey said with tears rolling down his face. 

“I promise you Jim, I will always try to make it back to you. And now I guess that includes Stephen as well. I will always try to come back to both…no…all of you.” Tony replied, glancing at the family gathered in the room.

“That’s all we can ever ask of you Tony.” Pepper said while Happy and Peter nodded in agreement. 

~

Some time later, Tony was situated on the sofa in the central lounge area. He was leaning against Stephen, who was carding his hands through Tony’s hair. They had talked for hours about them being soulmates, and what that meant for their blossoming relationship. They both agreed that, while they had strong feelings for each other, they didn’t want to rush into this. Both of them saw the other as too precious to ruin, so they decided on taking things slow. 

As Stephen and Tony cuddled in the presence of their family, Tony couldn’t help but wonder where his other supposed family was…

~

_Royal Palace, Wakanda_

Steve Rogers was angry. How could Tony lash out like that? It wasn’t like he cared about his parents? What difference did it make if they were murdered or died in a car crash? Either way, it was Tony’s fault for reacting the way he had. He was trying to kill Bucky, and Steve could not allow that to happen. In Steve’s mind, what he had to do was justified. He didn’t regret leaving his “boyfriend”, as Tony had referred to them, for his one true love. What Steve had with Tony paled in comparison to what he had with Bucky. 

Alas, when all was said and done, Steve would still need Tony for his resources, so he couldn’t forget the genius…not yet… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my! 
> 
> Steve really doesn't know when to quit...
> 
> Stephen and Tony are OTP...
> 
> Comments are love :)


	6. An Author's Apology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm Back!!!!

Hey Guys!

Wow! It's been a hot second! I have some good news, and some not so good news. Let's rip the bandaid off first, yeah?

So, my computer completely shut down as I was writing the next chapter, and I. Lost. EVERYTHING!!! XP So, unfortunately, I have to rewrite the chapter, which will take about a week, so my estimated date is Friday. I have been suffering for the past months with no computer, and it has sucked. To be honest, the only thing I could think about was how disappointed my readers would be. And for this, I am so, so, so sorry! I promised updates weekly, and I completely blew that up!

So now the good news. I'm back! My computer has been repaired! (Apparently there was some coding malfunction with it's update or whatever) I am going to start regularly updating again! This time around, I am going to be updating every other week. I want to give better content, and I think that extra time will give me the ability to do that.

Again, I am so sorry for anyone who thought I'd abandoned this work...I haven't!!! Promise!!!

Lots of Love,

~Curiosity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current Vote Count:
> 
> Peter/Shuri: 8
> 
> Peter/MJ: 3
> 
> Peter/Harley: 1


	7. Domesticity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to have lots of plot in this chapter, but I think we can work up to that even more...don't you? Prepare thyselves for the coming *sing-song voice* drama!

**Previously**

_Alas, when all was said and done, Steve would still need Tony for his resources, so he couldn’t forget the genius…not yet…_

~

It had been a few days since the incident, and Tony couldn't imagine how he had lived before Stephen entered his life. True to his word, the sorcerer had treated Tony like he was worth more than everything precious in the universe. If Tony was being honest, he never thought being treated like that would make his heart sing like it did, but he attributed the phenomenon to Stephen. Only he could make his soul this happy. 

For his part, Tony took to cooking again. It had seemed like forever since he last made anything, but it was like riding a bike: once learned, never forgotten. He was currently making spaghetti bolognese...something his mother had taught him. Thinking about her still left a bad taste in his mouth, not because he didn't love her, but because her memory was still tainted with the betrayal of a friend, someone he thought he loved. Steve Rogers had seemed like everything Tony never was, and everything he needed. He was 'perfect'. Ha! That was a sick joke. Steve was always going to be Howard's greatest creation...and that made Tony appear to be lacking in his father's eyes. How could a literal genius compare to supersoldier? The answer?

They couldn't. At least not in Howard Stark's eyes.

Tony snapped out of his thoughts when his soulmate entered the kitchen. "Mm. What are you making, Anthony? It smells wonderful," Stephen gushed. Tony just laughed and laid his ladle on the plate next to the stove. Tony had moved back to the Tower yesterday, and he had a _supremely_ adorable shadow that came with him. Stephen had assured Wong that he would come back to the Sanctum, before promptly whispering 'eventually' loud enough that Wong smacked him on the back of his head. The assault had caused a yelp to escape Stephen, who then denied he ever made such an "unbecoming" noise. 

To say Tony was happy would be an understatement. He was on cloud nine. He had a loving partner and a supportive family. Peter was becoming more like a son to him with every passing day, and Tony couldn't find it in himself to prevent it from happening. Before the incident, Tony was insistent upon not getting attached...to _anything_. Well, that wasn't exactly true. He had allowed himself to grow fond of Rogers, which had spectacularly backfired like he knew it would. From the beginning, Tony could tell that Rogers was off. He was too kind. Too forgiving. Except for Tony of course, who had foolishly thought that he was overexaggerating Captain America's personality flaws. Tony had looked up to Rogers. His dad idolized the man, so why shouldn't he?

Well, now he knew.

~

_Royal Palace, Wakanda_

Steve was nervous. Bucky was choosing to go into cryo today. His lover had isolated himself for the past few days, claiming that he needed time to prepare to go under, that he needed to reassure himself that HYDRA wasn't taking his choice away anymore. Steve didn't see why he couldn't do that for Bucky. Why did Bucky have to prepare alone? These were questions Steve didn't know if he wanted an answer to. 

Steve let himself simmer in his own head for another minute or two before deciding he'd had quite enough of his rampant thoughts. He left the sanctuary of his room, because for some reason, Bucky didn't want to share with him anymore, which was the first red flag that Steve saw. He and Bucky had always shared a bed, and while that may have been a logistics issue, Steve had always seen it as more. Bucky had _chosen_ time and time again to sleep in _his_ bed. That had to count for something, right?

Steve pushed those foolish thoughts away as he made his way towards the common room. Of _course_ Bucky saw it as more too, or else he would've stopped! Well, technically, he _had_ stopped, much to Steve's dismay, but that was just because he was getting used to being free, not because of anything Steve did! 

As he stepped into the room, Steve noticed several things at once. The first, and likely the most important, was the television broadcast who's headline proclaimed for all the world "Tony Stark Missing". Steve knew that Tony would try to play up their 'Civil War' as much as possible. He also knew that the American public loved Captain America more than Iron Man, and would therefore side with him over Tony no matter what evidence he placed against Steve. The second thing he noticed was a furious Wanda and a disturbed Sam. Clearly there had been an argument. Over what, Steve could guess with one hundred percent accuracy. He quickly approached the two, and decided to see what had already been said that couldn't be taken back.

"Wanda, what's wrong?"

"He said he felt bad for Stark, Steve! He said he felt bad for the person who _murdered_ my family!" Wanda screeched.

"Sam, is this true?" Steve queried.

"Of course I feel bad for the man! I told him he should go alone as a sign of good faith! I told him that you just wanted to talk!" Sam fired back.

Clearly Sam had been thinking about this for a while. It was also apparent he had guessed something had happened that Steve had left out of his recounting of events. This didn't bother Steve, however, because he knew he could convince Sam, just like he convinced Tony, to believe that he was always telling the truth. 

It was not a question of "if"...only of "when"...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony is acclimating to his life with Stephen.
> 
> Steve is...well...Steve...
> 
> The updated vote count will be posted on Friday.


	8. Peter's Love Interest (Vote Count)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief summary of the votes that have been casted so far

Hello my wonderful fellow fanfic fanatics!!!

Here is the updated vote count and who voted for who! If you see your screen name after a pairing you don't want, please tell me in the comments!

15 Peter/Harley = moonlove , Fangirl_shianne_77 , Brianna , Captain_Language , Lilmouseread , LishaBaby , sevenatprovidence , Kayati , FlynnTwins , Ashley Druid , Kiri_Namikase , Calista , PrettyBou , teamanibal , SlytherinQueen021 

14 Peter/Shuri = Kaitou_Luminous , Lilla_chan , sassybitch , Lunaticyawa , Tony_Bottom , Nightshade_sydneylover150 , SoneSowon , lilyryan58 , CrossTheBoss , lzee , ravio848 , music9009 , Chiyanpurana , CherryBlossom030 

3 Peter/MJ = Kaerany8910 , CapriciousT , Yaya93 

Harley has a lot of love! But there's still time left! If you are new to this fic, or if you're just dropping by, I welcome your input! There are still a few more chapters before we see Peter become interested in anyone, so I'd guestimate about 4-5 weeks to make your voice heard! (This _is_ a democracy, come on now people...Anyway!) Time is ticking, so now's your chance! All votes will be counted once! And only once! Unless you change your mind, then you can tell me in the comments, and I will transfer your vote. 

Thank you for taking the time to read, comment, and kudos!

~Curiosity

P.S. I've been reliably told that Q&A's are a thing now, but I see that so far in the future...not even a higher power knows when/if it will happen!


	9. Take a Break (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to take a break from Stephen, Tony, and Steve...and we now turn to Peter and..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Harley!!! I have included the vote count in the Author's Note at the end of the chapter, so you can correct me if I'm wrong, but I've counted every vote only once, and to my knowledge, the votes line up with the number of users next to them. Enjoy!

_**Previously** _

_This didn't bother Steve, however, because he knew he could convince Sam, just like he convinced Tony, to believe that he was always telling the truth._

_It was not a question of "if"...only of "when"..._

~

Peter didn't know what to think anymore. Tony was basically his dad, and he had thought that the Avengers were basically his aunts and uncles. Unfortunately, only one of those assumptions was true. Tony had become like a father to Peter. He taught him concepts he didn't already know about technology and science. He was there when Peter had a rough day. He treated Peter like a son...something precious to be cared for. Peter only wished the Ex-vengers would have treated Tony with the same respect and care. 

How had it come to be that the world's supposed 'superheroes' could justify to themselves nearly _murdering_ their teammate?! It all didn't make sense to Peter, but he trusted when Tony said that they attacked him without holding back. This just made Peter's vision go red with fury. Some superheroes they were! They didn't take into account casualties like Peter did. They didn't try to save as many people as possible like Peter did.

They didn't _care_ as much as _Tony_ did.

And that was the kicker. These heroes, who had been told by _other people_ that they could do some good, would never understand how Tony could _choose_ this life. They would never understand how it wasn't Tony's fault for any of the _bullshit_ they tried to place on his shoulders. They were cruel. They were manipulative. They were self-centered, egotistical bastards! All of them! So yeah Peter didn't know what to think anymore, because thinking only made things worse.

***Later***

Peter was in his room at the Tower when he got a message from Tony through FRIDAY. Apparently, he was supposed to go down to the common room for a "surprise". He could never tell when he would love or hate Tony's surprises. He pulled himself out of the comfort of his bed and trudged down the hall towards the elevator. He quickly decided to grab a glass of water before heading down. If it was a good surprise, he wouldn't need the water. On the other hand, if it was a joke surprise, he might require backup in the form of a "dry-throat-saving-liquid". He could never be sure.

Peter hopped on to the elevator and selected the common room floor. As it made its way down, Peter thought of anything and everything that Tony could possibly be so excited about. Maybe it was a new model of SI tech? 10% Possibility. A new suit? 30% Possibility. Some entirely random gift? 60% Possibility. The fact that he couldn't be sure about any of those options was somewhat concerning to Peter, who was brought out of his thoughts when the elevator pinged, signaling the end of his journey lie just behind the slowly opening doors.

He froze as he strolled out of the elevator when he realized there was more than one person in the room. 

_That's weird._ Peter thought. As he listened in on the voices, he could distinguish one as Tony, and the other as another male voice. He focused on the strange voice. It held a timbre that could make any girl swoon and a Southern accent that made Peter's insides feel all mushy. He wanted to speed around the corner to see who it was, and before he could stop himself, he did just that.

Racing around to the central part of the common room, Peter nearly fell over in his haste. When he looked up after catching the glass he almost dropped, he dropped it anyway. The glass shattered, but Peter didn't care. There, standing in front of him, was who had to be the _hottest_ boy he'd ever seen. He had styled brown hair that Peter wanted to rake his fingers through. Peter could see himself getting lost in those sky-blue eyes for hours, and he was taller than Peter. So. Much. Taller... And Peter was all for it. Never before had Peter thought he would be attracted to males, but here he was, gaga over one who he had yet to get a name from!

"Peter! What have I told you about running around with those glasses in your hands?" Tony exclaimed as the glass broke, but he could see Peter was no longer paying attention to him. Tony smirked as he saw his son's, and yes he thought about him as his son, eyes glued to his guest. 

"H-h-hi. I'm Parker Man. Sorry! Spider Peter...Uh...Peter Parker!" Peter struggled to say. The stranger laughed and _Oh my God I'm so gay for him,_ Peter thought. At least he thought he'd only said it in his head...until Mr. Tall and Handsome laughed again and Peter blushed like no other when he realized he'd said that out loud!

"Hey, sugar. I'm Harley. Harley Keener." The guy, Harley, said as he bowed and took Peter's hand and kissed it. Peter was swooning so hard, and he didn't even want to fight it. The stranger's name was Harley. A perfect name for the perfect person. "If I may say so, you ain't so bad yourself, Peter. I'd love to get to know you better." Peter flushed as Harley winked at him. How did this sun-kissed god think Peter of all people was worth getting to know?! If anything, Peter was _not_ good looking. At least, that's what all of his peers said, minus Ned and MJ of course. 

"I'd like that," was all that Peter could manage with heaven's eyes looking at him. He knew next to nothing about this boy, but he was dying to find out.

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 18 Peter/Harley = moonlove , Fangirl_shianne_77 , Brianna , Captain_Language , Lilmouseread , LishaBaby , sevenatprovidence , Kayati , FlynnTwins , Ashley Druid , Kiri_Namikase , Calista , PrettyBou , teamanibal , SlytherinQueen021 , BW , The_Impavid , DarkBeauty23
> 
> 16 Peter/Shuri = Kaitou_Luminous , Lilla_chan , sassybitch , Lunaticyawa , Tony_Bottom , Nightshade_sydneylover150 , SoneSowon , lilyryan58 , CrossTheBoss , lzee , ravio848 , music9009 , Chiyanpurana , CherryBlossom030 , QueenSwagmaster , Belbelanne
> 
> 3 Peter/MJ = Kaerany8910 , CapriciousT , Yaya93


	10. Take a Break (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of our favorite teen couple meeting!

**_Previously:_ **

_He knew next to nothing about this boy, but he was dying to find out._

~

The second to last thing Harley Keener had expected when Tony had asked him to visit was meeting his kid. While Tony hadn't claimed he was his kid, the man talked about the teen like he hung the sun, moon and stars! So yeah. He was definitely Tony's kid. 

The actual last thing Harley Keener had expected was meeting the _cutest goddamn_ _boy_ he'd ever seen! There in front of him was the literal definition of socially awkward, and it was in the most _adorable_ form possible. This must be a joke. No one can be that... _oh my god..._ _he's talking to you Keener, get a hold of yourself!_

"H-h-hi. I'm Parker Man. Sorry! Spider Peter...Uh...Peter Parker!" the boy, Peter Parker, stuttered. Harley internally groaned as he externally laughed. _Too goddamn cute._ He was so gone for this Peter person, and all he knew was his name and he had a propensity for being nervous. Then Harley heard something he wasn't expecting from Peter. "Oh my god I'm so gay for him," The boy said rather loudly, which forced a laugh from Harley. He almost immediately regretted laughing though, because it became very clear that Peter hadn't meant to say that. Peter flushed, Harley internally groaned again, because this was a literal angel who was created and sent specifically to tempt him, he was sure of it. _Oh well, better make the most of my personal angel_. 

"Hey, sugar. I'm Harley. Harley Keener," he said as he did what any gentleman should, and his mama raised him to be a gentleman, and he bowed and took Peter's hand and gave it a sweet kiss. "If I may say so, you ain't so bad yourself, Peter. I'd love to get to know you better." Harley said with a wink. Oh he was _on a roll_. Peter was perfect, and whether or not the teen realized it yet, he was going to be Harley's one way or another. 

Turned out that Harley needn't have worried as Peter said "I'd like that."

This was going to be so much fun.

~

Meanwhile, Tony was completely flipping out because his son was falling for Harley Keener, and Harley Keener was falling for his son, and that just spelled pranking, mechanical, and meme disasters. 

~

They weren't quite sure how it happened, because one minute they had met for the first time, the next bout of awareness of the outside world they had, they had somehow moved to the common room couch. Peter and Harley were sitting on the same couch, but while Tony was in the kitchen making dinner, he had quietly enacted the "Respectable Distance Protocol". He had created the protocol when he first realized Peter meant quite a lot to him, and he wasn't going to let some potential boyfriend or girlfriend get too close too quickly. Both physically and emotionally. So far, the protocol hadn't been triggered, which meant that the boys were sitting at least one to two feet apart. 

Back in the living room, Peter and Harley were, in fact, sitting one foot apart. They had decided to watch Star Wars, but both were completely engrossed in each other to remember which one they had chosen. About an hour into the movie, it was Peter that made the first move. He slowly slid his hand closer to Harley, hoping beyond every hope that he wasn't about to be rejected. He let his hand stop halfway for two agonizing minutes. Just as he was about to pull away though, Harley slid his hand next to Peter's. 

Peter's heart was racing. It was such a small movement, yet the implication was huge. Peter moved his little finger and wrapped it around Harley's, beginning the process of intertwining their hands. As soon as Peter touched Harley, the other boy's breath hitched. Peter looked away from their connected hands to Harley's face, and realized Harley had been staring at him the entire time. He could hear the teen's breathing becoming heavier. 

_Oh._ Harley was nervous too. He didn't want to mess this up either, whatever this was. Slowly, ever so slowly, Harley turned his own hand over and fully intertwined their hands for the first time. Harley kept their hands like that for a while, which turned out to be a good thing, because Peter was trying not to cry from the overwhelming emotions he was feeling. 

This was a far as Peter had ever gotten, and he was nervous. This was the farthest Peter had gotten, and he was excited. Peter was happy, Peter was anxious, Peter was scared, Peter was elated, Peter was _wanted._ Someone was interested in him, and he was experiencing all of these emotions at once. Furthermore, Peter was overjoyed at the brush of Harley's skin against his. While Peter had always had baby-soft skin, Harley's hands were calloused from a laborous childhood and a love of mechanical engineering. 

The tears threatening to spill from his eyes were tears of pure joy. Peter didn't know why he felt so strongly about this boy, and little did he know that Harley was feeling the same way. Apparently at least one tear slipped through because Harley's other hand came up to Peter's face, and he cupped Peter's cheek, using his thumb to brush away the tears that were falling from Peter's eyes. He refused to let go of Harley's other hand though. He never wanted to lose this feeling. 

Harley was barely holding back his own tears. This boy...this boy was _perfect._ Harley didn't have the words to describe what he was feeling at the moment. All he knew was that he was going to hold on to Peter, and cherish him for as long as Peter would have him. 

They're fates, like their hands, were hopelessly intertwined. 

~

Stephen was currently in his astral form. He was discussing business with Wong in this form because he refused to leave Tony. As he was talking, he felt something in the multiverse change, and if he could feel it, it had to be huge. He asked Wong, who had also felt the shift. They decided it to be best to consult the elder sorcerers. 

~

Fate didn't often decide to grace the multiverse with its direct interference. It often let things run as it had predetermined them to run before the beginning of time. However, once in a great while, if it deemed two living souls worthy, it connected them. Gave them a soulmate. 

Those with access to the mystic arts would sense when Fate directly intervened in the multiverse. Fate had given Stephen Strange Tony Stark, and Tony Stark Stephen Strange. But it also felt a need. A need to connect two different souls that had not been planned. Two souls that had become two of the most pure and beautiful souls Fate had the privilege to sense. 

Peter Parker and Harley Keener. 

With a swirl of cosmic force, the pure and beautiful souls became halves of each other. 

Soulmates.

Fate was satisfied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like it! Comments are love!!!!
> 
> 💖🕷️💖🤠💖


	11. We (Don't) Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a creative flow chapter. Writing everything as it comes to me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if you haven't figured it out yet, the titles of some of my chapters are based on songs. 😄🎹 #BandGeek #ListeningtoStarTrekSoundtracksRightNow #StarTrekisLove

_**Previously** _

_Peter Parker and Harley Keener._

_With a swirl of cosmic force, the pure and beautiful souls became halves of each other._

_Soulmates._

_Fate was satisfied._

~

Stephen was one worried Sorcerer Supreme. According to the elder sorcerers, a phenomena the likes of the ones they had all experienced earlier that day hadn't occurred for at least a millennium. The last recorded similar experience accounted that only cosmic shifts in fate or the use of more than one Infinity Stone at a time could cause every sorcerer in the multiverse to know something had happened. While the possibility of the Infinity Stones being used in such a way was out there, every person aware of their existence hoped to whatever higher power that wasn't what had happened. At the moment, they were working off of the assumption that a change in fate had been the reason behind the episode. 

According to the ancient texts, the only changes in fate that could have caused such a reaction were changes involving soulmates. Which one would think would narrow down the search field, however, because soulmates could happen between any souls, including the beings living in other dimensions or worlds, it just expanded their options. 

The sorcerers' current plan was to combine their abilities in hopes of using a complex spell that will locate a new soulmate pair. The only problem was, they needed to meet very specific requirements to perform the spell such as who performed the spell, day, time, month, year, and even the phase of the moon. If any one of those was off, the whole spell could kill those involved. That was precisely why Stephen was concerned. These cosmological shifts could spell disaster in many forms if Fate itself had not caused the shift. The spell they were going to attempt took months to plan, and the next date that met all of the requirements was less than a week away. 

Sometimes...Stephen hated the multiverse...

~

Tony had been momentarily blinded by the light that came from the living room. That was never a good sign, but with both Harley and Peter in said room, the only thing Tony could think of was the gates of Hell being opened and demons entering the world through a massive hole in his tower. He bolted into the room, which considering his expectations, was probably not the smartest idea, but he was Iron Man even if the doctor said to rest for another three to four months. He was met by an invisible force he didn't remember inventing or putting in-between the kitchen and the living room. 

He couldn't see through the invisible wall, which only worried him, and the only thing he could think to do was call Stephen. He speed dialed his soulmate, hoping and praying that he would answer. His son was on the other side of that wall, and he would be damned if he didn't do everything in his power to make sure he was okay. He waited for three tones before he started to panic. Stephen picked up on the fifth tone. 

"Anthony? What's wrong? You know I only use this phone if it's an emer-" Stephen didn't get to finish before Tony was sobbing in relief at his voice and stumbling over his dilemma. 

"Stephen...Peter...can't see...with Harley...wall...need you...come home...NOW!!!!" Tony hyperventilated. Stephen couldn't understand the whole of what was happening, but he understood that this meeting with the elder's was less important than his mate in distress. He immediately used his sling ring to travel to the Tower, specifically to Tony. He saw his soulmate visible shaking, and understood why. When he had left, Peter and Harley had been in the living room. Now, however, Stephen couldn't see into the living room. He knew Tony saw Peter as his son, and the thought of losing contact with him must be killing Tony. 

Stephen wrapped Tony in his arms, and held the man while he calmed down enough to explain what had happened. From what Stephen could understand, something mystical was at work here. 

"Anthony. Shh...Shh...It will be alright. I believe I know what is going on...shh...it's alright...I'm here..." Stephen cooed to his soulmate, attempting to quell his shaking form. Tony slowly stopped violently trembling and looked at Stephen for the first time with clear eyes. "There you are, precious," Stephen smiled. 

Stephen began to recount what he'd learned in Nepal, and he saw understanding enter Tony's eyes, who interrupted him before he could say anything else. 

"When they first saw each other, I thought they must've known each other from somewhere else! They looked like they could spend hours staring into one another's eyes! You're saying that they are soulmates? Like you and me?" Tony asked.

"It appears so. Only something huge could have caused this to happen, and we were looking into a cosmological shift in Nepal. From the previous accounts of unplanned soulmates, this barrier is keeping the pair safe while their connection forms. They are most likely in stasis, being watched over by the forces of the universe. We can't interfere with the process, Tony. It could harm both of them." 

"So I have to wait for how long?"

"Most accounts of this phenomena states that the process can take from hours to a couple of days depending on how strong Fate has made their connection."

"...……………..….Well...want some chicken parmesan while we wait?"

~

Peter was floating. He was blissfully unaware of the chaos of the outside world, and he decided he didn't want to become aware anytime soon. So he drifted. 

Of course, it's kind of hard to drift when you bump into someone else. _Harley._ Peter recognized the energy next to him, but he didn't understand why. Hadn't he and Harley only just met? How could Peter recognize him after a total of two hours together?

Harley groaned next to him, and Peter's head swiveled to look at the blonde. Opening his eyes that quickly was decidedly not the best idea. Peter's senses were assaulted by what seemed like millions of colors. _Where the hell was he?_

"Harley?" Peter frantically shook the boy, whose eyes snapped open and searched for him before relaxing when his eyes focused on Peter. "Hey, sugar. Don't suppose you know where we are?"

Peter shook his head and stared at Harley with his (too cute in Harley's opinion) doe eyes. They just floated there for a moment, eyes locked onto each other. They were disturbed by a voice calling out to them. 

"Peter Parker and Harley Keener," the voice called, "I, Fate, have summoned you here to aid your souls." 

Well _that_ didn't make any sense. Was this some crazy dream?

Fate gave a tinkling laugh. "No, Peter. This is most definitely real. Now, both of you, sit and listen as I explain my story, and how I am connected to yours."

The feminine voice began to recount her past, specifically her interference with souls. She spoke of centuries, millennium, and eons. She told the boys if front of her how she came to choose them. She told them of her desire to see their souls happy, and therefore, her desire to see a bond grow between them unlike anything she'd done before. 

What felt like days later, Peter and Harley openly gaped at not only Fate, but each other as well. "So what I'm hearing," Harley began as he indicated to Peter, "is that this sweetheart is my _actual_ soulmate?" 

Again, Fate laughed and nodded. "You both have the most astounding souls I have ever seen, and it is of your own doing. I may have had some part to play in your general life, but you are who has made you...well... _you._ Peter, you have remained _pure_ and _good_ despite the tragedies you have faced. Harley. Your soul shines with beauty and creative force. Together, you're light is exceeded by no other."

Peter, despite his valiant attempts, began to cry. He didn't understand how this could happen to him. This only happened in fairytales! What did he do to deserve Harley?

Harley, upon seeing his other half cry, wrapped the younger tightly in his arms, cooing and silencing his sobs. When Peter's tears began to lessen, he looked up at the older teen holding him, and Harley immediately knew, he would do anything for his angel. The perfect human in his arms had so quickly become Harley's universe, and he knew Peter felt the same. 

They knew it was too soon, but they were both hopelessly in love....

with their soulmate.

~

Upon seeing the boys realize their rapidly developing emotions, Fate knew she had made the right decision. These two were meant to be together. 

~

Stephen and Tony sat at the kitchen counter eating Tony's leftover chicken parmesan from two nights ago. Both were worried about the boys within the bubble. It had been a couple of days, and nothing had changed. Stephen could tell Tony was quickly losing his patience with the multiverse, and Stephen could feel the beginnings of his frustration start to creep into his mind.

Tony hadn't slept well at all, hoping to catch when the wall came down, or disappeared, or whatever it was going to do. He just hoped it would do whatever sooner rather than later. Stephen, for his part, had grown very fond of Peter ever since he picked him up from school that first time, even though the memory was rather unpleasant. He rapidly developed affection for the boy, and even if he had wanted to stop the attachment, which he didn't, he couldn't if he'd tried. 

Both adults were drawn from their thoughts when they heard a very odd sound come from the living room. They raced around the corner to see the barrier had come down, parts of it still shimmering where it had yet to disperse. There, lying on the couch tangled in a mess of limbs, were Harley and Peter. They looked fine physically, but Stephen was unsure as to how they were mentally.

Peter stirred first, and as he opened his eyes, Tony gasped. Instead of the darker chocolate brown Peter's eyes had always been, he had eyes that seemed as though the sun was hitting them, though there was no light in the room. His eyes were _glowing_.

Harley woke soon after Peter, and _his_ eyes were shining too! Harley's eyes looked like mini arc reactors! 

The two boys were apparently unaware of their new assets, because as soon as they looked at each other, they gasped. "Y-yo-your eyes!" Peter squeaked. 

"My eyes? Sweetheart, you should see _your_ eyes. Not that your eyes weren't beautiful before, but..." Harley trailed off. 

They were interrupted by Tony, who eloquently asked what the actual hell was going on. 

The teens took a few deep breaths, before they began to tell Tony and Stephen exactly what had been happening for two and a half days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all know the rules...Comments are love!!!


	12. Harley and Peter's Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT CLAIM TO BE A PHOTOSHOP EXPERT
> 
> I literally made these in two minutes...please don't hate me... 🥺🥺🥺🥺


	13. Author's Note: Why I am Now in a Fight with Best Buy

Hello My Lovelies!

I wish I could say that this was a story update, but it's not. 

So. If you've ever purchased a device from Best Buy, you know that they have warranties available to purchase. 

Long story short, my network adapter in my laptop was defective, so I couldn't access the internet...for 4 months. Yes, I wanted to die. 

So I, being all like, "I have a warranty, this will be fixed in no time", decide to call Best Buy to schedule an appointment. FYI, my state was not in serious COVID-19 danger at this point. So they tell me they are not accepting repairs...and I'm like...haha sure, where do I drop it off? 

They weren't joking. So I call corporate like 5 or 6 times in three days, because each time, I was put on hold for over 30 minutes, and then I was hung up on. At this point I am furious. 

Background Info: My warranty states that if Best Buy can't fix my laptop, they will replace it. 

So I call on last time, and I tell them that I want a replacement because they don't have the ability to fix my laptop...which makes sense right? If they don't have the laptop in front of them, they CAN'T fix it...right? Well the woman I talk to starts arguing with me, telling me that it's not an inability to fix it. She has the audacity to tell me that the only option I have is to PURCHASE ANOTHER LAPTOP....

….

….

….and I'm Like....The hell did you just say?! 

So I go on this rant about how I've already spent $2000 on this laptop. The gist of what she said was "sucks to be you". 

**3 months later**

Best Buy is finally accepting repairs! So I bring it in. I don't mention how poorly I've been treated. They take it in, and tell me that my warranty doesn't cover software issues. I'm like, no dip Sherlock, it's not a software issue, I would've been able to fix that. (I'm freaking amazing with technology). The guy proceeds to argue with me about that, and decides to tell me that "we'll fix this issue free of charge just this once". I kid you not I started laughing in his face. 

So they take it in. I ask the to call me when they ship it off. I give them my phone number. I don't hear back for 6 days. So I call them. And I am telling you NO ONE answers that phone EVER. I had to call the switchboard operator at the corporate site to transfer me to them. Anyway. They answer, and tell me that they didn't want to send it off without an okay from me. 

*crickets*

I explode at them. I'm all like "I freaking gave you my laptop to fix it! OF COURSE I WANT YOU TO SEND IT OFF"

So when I first brought it in, they told me it would take 10 days IF it was a hardware issue. Surprise it was. And they didn't even apologize for basically calling me an idiot. 

Fast forward 15 days, and it's still not in. So I call again, and the guy is like, "yeah it should be here by the end of next week". I don't push the issue because at this point I was super busy. 

Fun fact, I was told it would be done last Friday approximately 4 times by 4 different people. I was ASSURED it would be there. So I get there on Friday last week, and the guy is like, it should be here later today. So I come back later, and mind you the guy that I talked to said he'd call me whether or not it arrived, which he didn't, and a different guy is there and he tells me he has NO IDEA where my laptop is. 

That was when I broke. I started crying and scolding him. He then treated me like I was an idiot, because he said, and I quote "What do you want me to do? I can't magically make it appear here" and I looked at him like he was crazy, because seriously? 

Me: "I can see that you're not driving the truck that's bringing it here, so yeah, I know that YOU are not the one who will get it here."

Guy: "Well what do you want me to do? Because I have no way of getting it here right now"

Me (Internally): Is this guy an idiot? I KNOW my laptop isn't going to get here in the next 30 minutes before they close. 

Me (Speaking): "I want to know what Best Buy is going to do for me because I have been lied to, cut off, treated like an idiot, and yelled at. All by your fellow employees."

Guy: "You can call corporate"

Me: "I did, and they transferred me to you"

At this point the guy looks terrified because he's clearly never dealt with someone who has actually exhausted all of the available resources. So what does he say?

Guy: "I can't bring your laptop here right now"

And I am freaking done with this guy at this point, but I spell it out for him.

Me: "I want to be compensated for the hassle this whole process has been."

Guy: "Well that's my manager's decision and he's not here right now."

Me: "Well when is he here next?"

Guy: "Tomorrow"

Me: "Well talk to him then."

Guy: "Okay. I can talk to him tomorrow and call you to tell you what he comes up with. "

Me: "Cool. I look forward to the call"

An I left.

**Saturday**

Surprise, the guy doesn't call me. 

So again, I call the store. Long story short, they told me that my laptop was still in Illinois, and it was scheduled to come in on Tuesday (today) and they promise to call me by 5:30 pm for my compensation.

Surprise, they actually DO call me. 

And you know what? If I wasn't pissed before, I was then, because the managers apparently decided that a $25 gift card made up for everything I'd been through. 

I was told my laptop was going to be there four days ago by four different people. They lied through their teeth on multiple occasions, only for me to find out that I had to wait even longer to get my laptop. So here are the facts:

  * I was told that it was a software issue and they couldn't fix it before they even looked at the laptop (It was a hardware issue)
  * I was told that it would take max 10 days (I have my laptop now 30 days after I gave it to them)
  * I have been lied to by 7 individuals and lied to a total of 13 times
  * I spent a total of 35 hours on the phone with Best Buy (including holding time) and I was hung up on 8 times by 3 different Best Buy departments. I think I actually had only 2 full phone calls
  * Corporate says the Stores are responsible for complaints and the Stores say Corporate is responsible (terrible communication)
  * Condescending tones used: 14
  * Times I was told to call a different department: 23
  * Times I was told No One could do anything: 31
  * Times I completely lost my shit: 2



So. How do you think I did? What would all of you have done if it was your laptop and your only way of connecting to the internet. (I have a blackberry phone, don't judge please). Do you think $25 is enough of a compensation? Please tell me if you think I have completely overreacted. Or if you think I am right.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, I am back, and hopefully for a while. Unfortunately, the Best Buy idiots decided to wipe all of my files...why? I don't think it was necessary. Either way, I have to rewrite the chapter I had been working on. I will have to remember where I was trying to go with the story. I apologize to everyone who has stayed up to date on all of my chapters! I love you all and hope you will stick with me!


	14. If You Could See Me Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We delve into the life of two soulmate pairs.
> 
> Tony, Stephen, and Peter have an important conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies!!!
> 
> I. AM. BACK!!!
> 
> It took me forever to get this chapter to the place I wanted it to be. I struggled for months over the last section of this chapter, because I felt I needed to do these characters as much justice as possible. So without further ado, please, enjoy, the latest, chapter!!!
> 
> ~Curiosity

Peter, Harley, Tony, and Stephen talked for hours after the wall came down, Tony almost crying when he saw the boys were okay, and then actually crying when he heard they were soulmates. Figures it would be his two favorite teenagers that would be bonded right after meeting one another.   
  
Stephen was just glad the boys were healthy. Both in mind and body. He had rapidly grown attached to Peter in the time he'd known the young hero. He guessed that, because Tony and Peter were essentially father and son, Stephen would somehow play a role in Peter's life as well. Whether that be the part of an additional mentor, another father-figure, or something else entirely remained to be seen. Stephen knew that, on his side, he would love the opportunity to be a father-figure to young Peter. The child had wormed his way into the sorcerer's heart and had taken up quite a bit of real estate there.  
  
Tony watched on as his soulmate worked through what were clearly some life-changing thoughts. He could take an educated guess and say that they most likely centered on one Peter Parker. Stephen had confessed to Tony a while ago how much the teen was affecting him. Tony fondly remembers the way Stephen had flushed and looked to Tony for approval of his feelings. Who was Tony to deny both his mate and his son something both clearly needed? Later, the three of them would be having a serious chat, but for now, Tony was simply basking in the knowledge that his son was safe, his mate was safe, and Harley was safe.   
  
Focusing again on what the two teens were saying, he heard the tail end of what he assumed was an explanation of what Fate looked like.   
  
"So you met with one of the oldest cosmological beings known, and you asked her what she liked to do for fun?" Stephen queried with a single eyebrow twitching with the need to rise.  
  
Peter flushed as he nodded an affirmative. "She said that she liked to watch her work play out and if she's not doing that..." Peter looked to Harley with an almost embarrassed look, pleading with the other teen to finish his thought. Harley caved to the doe eyes. "If she's not doing that, she said her guilty pleasure is reading," Harley sighed. But that wasn't a reason for Peter to get flustered, so Tony turned to look at the younger boy. Peter put his head in his hand as he muffled out, "She doesn't read just anything, Harley. Apparently, she and the ancient cosmological beings of the universe, have their own version of...how-shall-we-say...fanfiction." Peter finished lamely.   
  
Tony and Stephen looked at each other in surprise, before Tony barked out a laugh at the unexpected answer. Stephen still wore a look of shock, though, which sent Tony into a laughing fit. The kind of laughing fit, where one laughs so hard that their laughter becomes mute, and breathing becomes nigh impossible.   
  
"You...did not...just say that...fate..." Tony trailed off wheezing. He could see it now. Peter. Poor, poor, poor innocent Peter. Casually asking out of the kindness of his heart what Fate liked to do in her free time. And then...Tony barked out another laugh. Man, the kid must've been so red when he found out the cosmological beings of the multiverse liked to read and write about him.   
  
Stephen, having finally snapped out of his moment of shock, gave his mate a hard look, daring Tony to embarrass the two teens any further. Tony wisely reigned in his laughing fit, five minutes later mind you.

"Well," Tony began after finally calming down, "as much as I love this conversation, and believe me I do, I think it's also time for rebel boyfriends to head off to their OWN BEDS and GO TO SLEEP." 

Peter flushed and Harley glared a little. Tony ignored Harley and turned to Peter. "Kid, you scared me over these past couple of days, and I think it's time you, Stephen, and I had a little conversation about..." Tony shuddered, "...feelings."

Harley Keener knew when he was being dismissed, and while it normally pissed him off, he figured he could live with it just this once. Tony, Stephen, and Peter were clearly nervous enough as it was, and Harley had never been cruel. A sarcastic 8asshole who didn't give a shit about other people's opinion of him? Yes. Cruel? No. So he left after giving Peter a soft kiss on his forehead and put a movie on once he was back in his room.

Out in the living room, Tony sat with Stephen and nervously glanced at his mate. Emotions weren't his strong suit. Actually, scratch that. REAL emotions weren't his strong suit. He was a master of making people believe certain things about him and how he felt, but more often than not, what he truly felt was miles off from what others thought he felt.

Stephen decided that his mate needed a little buffer time to work up his courage to talk to Peter. 

"Peter, it has been a few weeks since I first met you, and if I am saying these next words, I can only imagine how Tony is feeling after knowing you for several months. Peter, I have never been one for close relationships or family, but in these past couple of weeks, you've found a way to crawl into the deepest parts of my heart and believe me, Peter, it would take an impossible amount of force to remove you from it."

Peter looked at Stephen with awe written into every fiber of his being. He moved to speak, but the sorcerer held up a hand to cut him off.

"No, let me continue. I need to say this. You and Tony are everything I never knew I needed, but more importantly, you are everything I never knew I wanted. I love you, Peter, and I hope that you will allow me to be part of your life for a very, very long time."

Peter was crying at this point, but Tony jumped in before he could say anything to Stephen.

"Pete, kid. You know I break out in hives when I talk about feelings, right? That in and of itself should tell you how serious I am when I say this. I love you. I love you so much, squirt. You and your soft curls and puppy eyes. You are so, so smart Peter, and I am blown away every day by the fact that I get to be a part of your life."

Peter was sufficiently sobbing now.

"I'm almost done, kid. I want to be the one you go to when you've had a bad day. I want to be the one you ramble to when you get excited. I want to be the one who gets to have breakfast with you every morning. Fuck, I want to be the best mentor you had, have, and will ever have. But more than all of that?" 

Tony moved to Peter's side and took his face in his hands. 

"I want to be the one who calls you my bambino," Tony whispered.

Peter was officially a puddle of happy tears and heart happy goo.


End file.
